No American Dream
The President of the United States could damn well stop
blaming the current depression on past administrations
While he’s at it, he could damn well stop talking about the
"American Dream.”
Current unemployment of 10.1 percent has not been
caused by "decades of past mistakes " It is the result of one
year and 13 days of tight credit, business failures, loss of
international trade, decline in aid to education, loss of
governmental services and the jobs they gave
The "American Dream” does not exist The American
reality is to have a job
It is all very fine to live for the next drop in interest rates
or the Dow Jones average If there is an inherent American
fantasy, it is to make a million overnight on the stock market
The reality of the current economy, on the other hand, is
found easily in any paper or trade magazine The nightmare
of unemployment is a different "roller coaster" and far more
frightening
Curbing inflation is a worthy objective But curbing
inflation at the price of jobs is defenseless An "attack on
inflation" is ludicrous if the rear flank of employment and
education are defeated
President Reagan reiterated his stance yesterday, “This
administration means business," with a big "B " Reagan has
never claimed to be labor, with a big "L,” or government with
a big "G" or even business with a small "b.” He intends to
hold to his current course and listen to his advisors who will
show him the "guideposts on the road to recovery "
Meanwhile, he'll blame the misery of his administration
on the New Deal or Jimmy Carter or even Richard Nixon.
If Reagan had read any recent history, he would have
learned that current inflation problems began when Lyndon
Johnson decided to increase our participation in the war in
Vietnam, continue with his Great Society social programs
and not increase taxes
It is sort of like increasing the defense budget, cutting
back on taxes and social welfare programs Neither add up to
a balanced budget Reagan must realize that he has created
the worst deficit ever The difference between then and now
lies in the number of jobs that were plentiful in industry and
government during earlier administrations.
Something's wrong when the President, in the midst of
the worst unemployment since 1941, numerous business
failures, and a bizarre bull market, tells us prosperity is just
around the corner
%
'Capn voio<er, may i Borrow the pkragwte r
'(ouodflf
ctj^QRf
&
I Jonathan siegle
editor’s note
The sentencing of Benjamin
Sasway to 2 5 years for refusing
to register for the draft should
surprise no one America is a
class society
This is a country which values
property over people Benjamin
Sasway doesn't want to go to
war to save Big Macs for
democracy
So we throw him in the slam
mer
And Ronald Reagan pledges
to the country he will not rest
until prayer is restored to public
schools
This is supposed to be moral
America, right? You know,
Jesse Helms, Jerry Falwell,
Donnie and Marie? So Sasway
takes his moral stand against
war and we give him 2 5 years to
suffer for it
Swell Klaus Von Bulow is out
on bail after being convicted of
killing his wife. He's rich He’s
free Ma and Pa Hinckley spend
half a million bucks to put their
twerp of a son in the nut house
instead of the big house.
They’re rich, too
Ad nauseum.
Even the lady with the torch
needs repair
It is foolish to believe the
United States is a classless
society Car sales are down, yet
sales of luxury cars, expensive
motor homes, and boats are
doing quite well
In 1977 unemployment was
7 4 percent In 1981 it was still
7 4 percent Today its 10 1 per
cent And today, in the middle of
the worst unemployment since
1940, we re in the middle of a
bull market.
Lane County passes a special
tax levy to fund the police.
Human services, no; cops and
robbers, yes Another new war
is declared on drugs; drug
education funds are eliminated
Congress debates when human
life begins, and the federal
budget runs out of dough for
planned parenthood
If Sasway had knocked over a
liquor store, with his face and
record he'd probably have got
ten probation
Benjamin Sasway is a hero
He put himself on the line
Whether you agree or disagree
with Sasway's stand, you can't
argue — he got screwed
I'm reminded of Richard
Pryor's definition of justice: just
us That's it. Us US.
letters
Non-credit
Unfortunately, the casual use
of the term class" to describe a
SEARCH non-credit workshop
has caused confusion
In particular, Vice-Provost
Paul Holbo has expressed his
inability to discern the differ
ence between a credit class and
a non-credit class This is cer
tainly a valid point and a con
cern that we share
Please, in the future, for those
who have not the access or the
inclination to check our catalog
(wherein all offerings are clearly
marked) we at SEARCH would
appreciate it if all "classes" be
clearly labeled as either credit
or non-credit
Mary Hopa
SEARCH
Freeloaders
With the large percentage of
the male students at the Univer
sity eligible for draft registration
and the attention given to the
freeloaders currently support
ing their conviction, I would like
to declare my support of the
United States Government's
decision to prosecute and in
carcerate these people My only
complaint is that the punish
ments are to easy (sic) and to
few (sic).
I propose to all of Oregon's
lawmakers and to the Federal
Justice Department that
government grants and finan
cial aid be cut off to nonregis
tered (sic) eligible students
The government has no moral
obligation to handout (sic)
special low-interest, delayed
payment loans to young men
that won't support it And there
is no reason why the govern
ment should ever give them any
food stamps, welfare, social
security (and in their old age
their Medicare/Medicaid ben
efits Those should be reserved
for those citizens that have
served their country — or at
least demonstrated their
willingness to do so
Freedom to do as you please
is the basic right of all American
citizens and I support that
Everyone should have the right
not to register — just don't ex
pect the governments support if
you are unwilling to support that
very same government
Don't attempt to equate this
Oregon daily _ _
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald Is published Monday through
Friday, except during exam week and vacations, by the Oregon
Dally Emerald Publishing Co at the University of Oregon,
Eugene. OR. 97403
The Emerald operates independently ot the University with
offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a
member of the Associated Press
News and Editorial SHS-SS11
Display Advertising and Business SUB-3712
Classified Advertising SSS-4343
Production SM-43S1
Circulation 8HSS511
Editor
Harry E Steve
Managing Editor
News Editor
Assistant News Editor
Editorial Page Editor
Photo Editor
Sports Editor
Associate Sports Editor
Entertainment Editor
Night Editor
Associate Editors
Higher Education
Departments and Schools
Student Government
Features
Politics
Community
General Stall
Advertising Manage'
Classified Advertising
Production Manager
Controller
John Mealy
Marian Green
Cort Fernakf
Joan Nytand
Bob Baker
Mike Riplinger
Paul Dearer
Jonathan Siegla
Matt Meyer
Debbie Hewlett
Sandy Johnstone
Richard Burr
Sean Meye's
Michele Matasea
David Brown
Darlene Gore
Sally OI|ar
Victoria Koch
Jean Ownpey
as an effort to blackmail the
population for their support of a
war machine Everyone still
would have the right to vote and
change military policy or work
within the system for change
Disagreement with a few mili
tary policies (expected by any
person intelligent enough to
realize that 28 million people are
never going to exactly agree on
everything) is no reason to
reject the whole principal (sic)
of national defense or one's ob
ligation to their country
Rick Galllh&r
USMCR
Devil's work
Nick Pappis and his anti
rock'n' roll followers are ob
viously the devil's handiwork
They are trying to suppress free
expression and the creative
human need for music Sure
subliminal are possible to pick
up on subconsciously, but let s
get serious Nick — in reverse at
slower speeds than the record
ing is listened to? Ha' Pure un
adulterated garbage)
Yes. the devil is a shrewd
operator He knows what type of
world he’s up against So in
order to corrupt it he a trying a
new approach
The devil is using a reverse
thinking Yes. he's using an
evangelical record burning ex
rock'n'roll musician to cast
souls Into the fiery furnance
First by destroying free expres
sion and breaking the human
spirit Then when everyone is
left just like leaves carried help
lessly by the winds of every
change, he injects the poison ot
Satan's will into the hearts and
minds of the masses
Is this what you want to hap
pen to our world? No, I say we all
should stand courageously
against this demon of doom
Fear not what he says! United
we stand, divided we fall Long
live Rock!
Gregory Koestar
To the rescue
It is reassuring to know that
there still are people who will
get involved and offer help dur
ing an emergency
On Oct 7, I was Involved in a
car accident Immediately after
the collision, several bystanders
came to offer assistance One of
these individuals in particular,
Casey Dale, tended to my minor
Injuries and remained at the
scene until the police and the
paramedics had arrived
In addition, Paul Dexter and
Barbra Kilbury witnessed the
collision and voluntarily offered
their names if needed as wit
nesses The attending police
officers and paramedics also
did their best in alleviating the
anguish of both drivers.
Kathy Misklll
senior, Journalism
Thursday, October 14,1982